Pokemon X and Y: Advanced
by Varun Dhawan
Summary: With the Unova League behind him, Ash isn't home in Pallet Town for long before news of the Kalos region gets him out on a brand-new journey. What kind of new adventures will he find when some old friends decide to tag along for the ride? AdvanceShipping.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Hey there. Eh, I know that I wrote a fiction with the same plot as this one long ago, but I deleted it and decided to rewrite it after doing a few chapters because I found it kind of bad even though I had many positive reviews. Well, I didn't finish the fiction back then and there are many major changes in the storyline with way more detailed chapters, so I guess it's worth it. Have fun. And don't forget to review**

**Also. I would like to thank Lady Mayflower for the awesome beta-reading.**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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**Chapter 1 - Good bye, my friends!**

With the Unova League tournament over, Ash and company decided to return to Nuvema Town. On their way, they passed through Nacrene City. As night settled in, the trio decided to take a break at the local Pokemon center and start planning the rest of their journey.

There was an awkward silence in the room. The atmosphere was tense; one could hear the sound of crickets chirping. Even though the city was large and full of people, there weren't many trainers in the Pokemon center. With the Unova league over, most of the trainers had already left for home or started their new adventures.

Iris gave a deep sigh as she sat down on the couch. "What's up, Iris?" Ash, who was sitting next to her, raised his eyebrows, noticing the unsettled look on his friend's face. "You don't look well..." Iris had been looking more and more upset over the past few days. He had a good idea about what was going on in her mind, but he decided to not say anything about it…until now.

Iris ran her fingers through her dark purple hair as she looked at Ash. "Oh, it's nothing, I was just thinking about what's gonna happen when we get to Nuvema," she replied in a low tone, smiling weakly. She knew that this would happen one day, and she was prepared for it this time.

"Yeah... Well." Ash paused for a second as he scratched the back of his neck before continuing. "What are you planning to do?" he asked, petting the electric mouse Pokemon who just jumped down from his shoulder to his lap.

"Well, I'm planning on heading back to Dragon Village for a bit, then go out on my journey." She paused as her voice turned more cheerful. "I still have to become a dragon master, you know!" she exclaimed proudly.

"So, you're planning to go on a separate journey, huh?" Cilan said, grabbing the cup of coffee from the table in front of him.

"Yeah, I guess..." She sighed as her voice lowered yet once again. "I... I am planning to head straight back to the village instead of Nuvema town, since I'll be able to get there sooner if I do..."

The hundreds of thoughts running through her mind were interrupted as Ash spoke. "That's great! And believe me, you're gonna be the greatest dragon master one day," he said as an attempt to cheer her up.

"Y-Yeah. Of course!" she said, "I mean…I don't want to just say my goodbyes and go, but it's really the only way I can get stronger on my own."

"You got that right," Ash said before turning toward Cilan, who was sitting on a couch placed at the other side of the table. "What about you, Cilan? You got something in your mind?"

"Who, me?" Cilan echoed after taking a sip of his coffee. "I'm going back to Striaton City. I have to get back to work if I'm going to be an S-rank connoisseur."

"Looks like we'll be travelling together for a while, then. Isn't that right?" Ash asked, looking at Pikachu, who gave an excited chirp in response.

"Yeah, it's cool and all, but it's also sad!" Iris frowned. "We'll have to say good-bye, after all the time we've spent together!" she said slowly, leaning on top of the table as she thought about all the good times they had on their adventure. She sighed once again before turning her face toward Ash. "What about you, Ash? What are you going to do?"

"Eh…" Ash thought about it for a moment, even though the reply was obvious. "I guess I'll head back home to Kanto after we see Professor Juniper." He chuckled, looking at Pikachu. "We'll find a new adventure before long, right, Pikachu?"

Cilan gave a little laugh of his own. "That sounds just like you, Ash."

"Oh damn! Look at the time, it's already past twelve," Ash said, looking at the wall clock behind Cilan. "We've been awake for a while."

"Hmm... " Cilan turned around to take a look at the clock for himself. "You're right, we should get to bed.

"Guess so," Ash said, standing up. "I'm pretty tired anyway," he yawned, stretching his arms wide in air as Pikachu jumped down on the ground, yawning as well to match his trainer.

Ash bent down a little, just to let the small Pokemon jump on his shoulder, before starting to walk toward the stairs. "Our room's on the third floor, isn't it?" Ash said, walking upstairs. Cilan nodded with an affirmative 'mm-hmm', before he and Iris followed him up to their room for a night of well-deserved rest.

* * *

The three friends turned in for the night, each curled up soundly in their borrowed beds. As the clock approached three, Ash stirred from his slumber. His mind was buzzing; he needed to get out of bed. Treading quietly to not disturb Iris and Cilan, he tiptoed out of the room and onto the veranda.

Ash looked up at the starry skies above. Millions of thoughts were running across his mind, which included the sad thoughts of leaving his new friends behind, but also the exciting thoughts of the new adventures coming up ahead. His thoughts also turned to his previous companions, all of the other trainers he had traveled with over the years. He hated being separated from his friends, as much as he loved going on the new adventures. It always happened, but it didn't mean that he forgot about them. They were still his friends and always would be. Perhaps he would take advantage of his new downtime and go visit them.

The sound of tiny footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts. A sleepy Pikachu gave a squeaky yawn before jumping up to his trainer's shoulder. "What's the matter? You can't sleep either?"

"Pika." Pikachu nodded with a smile on his face.

Ash smiled, going back to looking at the stars. At least he still had Pikachu with him. He knew that they would never be separated, no matter what. "Hard to believe we'll all be splitting up soon," he said. "It's gonna be hard to say goodbye, but Iris and Cilan have to get back to their lives. And you and I have to get back to being Pokémon masters."

"Pika pi!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"Yeah. We've been gone for a long time; it'll be great to go home and see how everyone's holding up in Pallet Town."

He placed his hands in his pajama pockets. "It'll be sad to say goodbye to Unova, though. We've been through a lot here and made a bunch of new friends."

Pikachu gently nuzzled his trainer. "Pika pi, pikachu!"

"Yeah, buddy, you're right, we should get back to bed." Ash scratched his messy black hair before turning around to make his way back to the bed.

* * *

Ash yawned loudly as they left the Pokemon Center. "What's up, Ash? You still look tired, didn't you sleep last night?" Iris asked, looking at him.

"O-Oh, it's nothing. I'll be alright in no time!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu shrugged. He knew that even after they went back to bed, Ash wasn't able to sleep the whole night.

The three of them stood quietly. They all knew this was the moment to say their good-byes, but the difficulty was obvious. A cold breeze blew past, stinging their faces.

Finally, Iris spoke up, breaking the awkward silence. "I... I guess that is it..." She said, looking down as Axew popped out of her hair, worried about his trainer.

"Cheer up, Iris! I'm sure that we'll meet again someday," Ash exclaimed, trying to cheer his friend up even though he, himself wasn't sure of what he just said.

"Y-yeah, of course we will," Iris said, trying to fake a smile.

Ash raised his eyebrows and stared at her for some seconds. There had to be something that would cheer her up. Finally it came to him. "Iris, wait!" The dragon trainer looked up. "I challenge you to a Pokémon battle! You up for it?"

A smile grew on Cilan's face as he heard Ash saying that. He knew it would happen; that was Ash's way of cheering people up. Not that he could argue – it seemed effective enough.

"A Pokemon battle?" Iris blinked. Eventually, she broke into a smirk. "That's not a bad idea."

* * *

Ash and Iris took their places on opposite ends of a small clearing they found behind the Pokemon Center. "I'm not holding back, Iris!" Ash exclaimed.

"I don't want you to, either! Besides, if you do, you're going to regret it," Iris replied from the other side.

Cilan stood between them to act as referee. "Each trainer will use one Pokemon. When one of the Pokemon is unable to battle, the match will be over! Go!"

"I choose you! Krookodile!" Ash exclaimed, throwing a pokeball. The large, brick-colored crocodile roared a mighty 'krookodile!' as it emerged onto the field.

"Go, Dragonite!" Iris exclaimed, launching a pokeball in the air. The bright orange dragon-type took the skies, unleashing a roar to match Krookodile's.

"Krookodile vs Dragonite! It's going to be a battle full of spice!" Cilan exclaimed.

"Go Dragonite, Thunder Punch!" Iris commanded. Sparks of lightning appeared on Dragonite's right hand before he charged towards Krookodile.

"Counter it with Dragon Claw!" Ash commanded. Krookodile's claws began to glow bright blue. Once charged up, Krookodile rushed towards the attacking Dragonite.

Both Pokemon collided with each other, pushing each other back using their fists. After both Pokemon landed back on the ground, they growled at each other, totally unharmed from the clash. "Ok, Krookodile! Use Stone Edge!" Ash exclaimed.

"Krook!" Krookodile's body became surrounded in white. The white energy then came off Krookodile's body and formed into two rings of white pointed energy orbs that orbited around. The white light faded around the orbs and they formed into multiple gray rocks. Krookodile fired the rocks toward Dragonite.

"Dragonite, dodge it, then use Ice Beam!" Iris commanded quickly. The Dragonite gave a loud cry as he flew up high to dodge the oncoming rocks. He reared back as a white energy began to form in his mouth, then fired the icy beam down at his opponent.

"Krookodile, use Dig and dodge it!" Ash commanded.

Krookodile, wasting no more time, jumped into the air, then dived into the ground, avoiding Dragonite's Ice Beam.

"Now use Dragon Claw!" Ash exclaimed.

"Krook!" Krookodile suddenly came out of the ground below where the dragon-type was flying and jumped toward Dragonite with his claws glowing light blue.

"That's our chance, Dragonite! Use Dragon Rush!" Iris exclaimed. Dragonite's horn started to glow before releasing a dragon-shaped energy that covered its body. It then slammed into Krookodile with full force. The powerful attack created another blast wave, sending Krookodile crashing into the ground and sending a cloud of smoke to surround the fallen Pokemon.

After the dust and smoke cleared, Krookodile was still in the crater left from the attack, showing signs of heavy damage while Dragonite appeared unharmed. "Good work, Dragonite!" Iris shouted with cocky yet confident smirk on her face.

"Krookodile! Are you alright?!" Ash shouted with a worried look.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu exclaimed, cheering for his injured comrade.

"K-Krookodile.." Krookodile was trembling, but managed to slowly stand up.

"That's it, Krookodile! We can do it!" Ash exclaimed. Krookodile gave a roar in response; clearly, the match wasn't over yet.

"Krookodile looks full of spirit, but I'm afraid that he took a lot of damage from the previous attack!" Cilan commented from the sidelines.

"That's the spirit, Krookodile! Now use Dragon Claw!" Ash exclaimed.

"Krookodile!" Krookodile once again charged toward Dragonite with his Dragon Claw.

"It won't work!" said Iris. "Dodge it, Dragonite!" Iris exclaimed. The dragon-type pokemon flew up high, easily avoiding Krookodile's Dragon Claw. "Now use Ice Beam!" Iris commanded.

"We won't let you! Stone Edge!" Ash exclaimed quickly. Krookodile quickly summoned a wave of rocks, shooting them up at the charging Dragonite and landing a critical hit. The Dragonite gave a pained wail as it crashed to the ground.

"Oh no! Dragonite, are you alright?!" Iris said with a worried look.

"Now use Dragon Claw!" Ash exclaimed.

"Krook!" Krookodile wasting no more time charged toward Dragonite with Dragon Claw.

"Dodge it!" Iris commanded. But before Dragonite could recover from the previous attack, Krookodile was able to land another hit on him using Dragon Claw. Dragonite cried in agony as a big cut wound formed on his chest, the blood started to flow down the wounded Pokemon's body. The attack was strong enough to send Dragonite flying and make him collide with a small boulder, cracking the boulder.

"That's it!" Ash exclaimed happily. Pikachu echoed him with a celebratory 'pi-pika-pi!'

"Dragonite, can you still fight?" Iris asked with a worried look on her face accompanied by a 'xew' coming from Axew.

Dragonite gave a weak coo as he got to his feet. Like Krookodile before him, he refused to give up the fight, and gave a mighty roar to show that he was far from defeated.

"That's the spirit, Dragonite!" Iris cheered him on, with Axew chiming in behind her with a matching 'axew!'

"Then let's finish this! Krookodile, use Aerial Ace!" Ash commanded.

"Krookodile!" Krookodile jumped up into the air, then spiraled towards Dragonite at a blistering speed.

_That attack's too fast, Dragonite won't be able to dodge!_ Iris thought. "Dragonite! Counter it with Dragon Rush!" Iris commanded quickly.

Dragonite quickly summoned the dragon-shaped energy and rushed towards Krookodile. The Pokemon clashed in a huge explosion, kicking up a cloud of smoke that completely covered the field.

Ash strained his eyes to see what had happened. "I can't see anything!" he shouted.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu joined him.

"Same here!" Iris exclaimed loudly.

After the smoke vanished, both Dragonite and Krookodile were standing on the ground, heavily injured, panting. "Krookodile!" Ash shouted with a worried look,

"Dragonite, are you ok?!" Iris exclaimed.

"Such a spicy battle," said Cilan.

Both pokemon were clearly shaken, each covered with scratches and trembling as they struggled to move. Clearly, neither one was about to surrender.

"That's it, Krookodile! Use Dragon Claw with your full power!" Ash exclaimed. Krookodile roared on top of his lungs as his claw started to glow light blue.

"Counter it with your Thunder Punch, Dragonite!" Iris commanded. Dragonite roared as loud as Krookodile as yellow sparks surrounds his fist, which grew into a ball of electric energy.

With their attacks fully-charged, both pokemon rushed forward with everything they had left. They clashed mid-field in a heated explosion of dragon energy and electricity. Sparks flew from the impact, right before another earth-shaking explosion coated the field in another smokescreen of debris.

When the smoke finally cleared, the two titans were breathing hard, each covered in burns and scratches and all sorts of damage. Finally, they had no more to give, and both of them dropped where they stood.

"Both pokemon are unable to battle! It's a ti-" Before Cilan could complete his sentence, he was interrupted by a low roar coming from the battle field. The heavily injured Krookodile roared once again as he struggled to get back on his trembling feet. The Pokemon was covered with blood and scratched but he was not willing to give up no matter what, just like his trainer.

"K-Krookodile..." Ash said slowly as he watched his faithful Pokemon get up back on his feet and release a loud roar full of pride.

Cilan smirked before checking on Dragonite, who showed no movement at all. "This battle is over! Dragonite is unable to move, Krookodile won the match!" Cilan exclaimed as he raised his right hand, which was pointing at Ash's side.

"We... We did it! We did it Krookodile!" Ash echoed as he ran up to the crocodile Pokemon, hugging his neck tightly.

"Krok!" The injured Pokemon happily accepted the hug from his trainer, ignoring all the pain.

"Dragonite, return!" Iris pulled out his pokeball and returned his pokemon, watching as Dragonite disappeared in the bright red beam. "You did great, Dragonite," she smiled before looking at Ash. _And you too..._

Both Ash and Iris met in the battered remains of the field. "That was a clearly awesome battle, Iris!" Ash exclaimed.

"Yeah, and next time I'm going to win!" Iris exclaimed, full of confidence.

"That was excellent, guys!" Cilan exclaimed, running up and putting his hands on their backs in congratulations. "A very spicy battle, full of tasty ingredients!"

* * *

After getting Krookodile and Dragonite to the Pokémon Center, the trio were finally prepared to go their separate ways.

"Guess this is goodbye, then," Iris said.

"Yeah, but we'll meet up again, for sure." Ash added as Pikachu gave an excited chirp in agreement.

"Of course." Cilan said.

"Yeah, we have to rematch so I can beat you fair and square," Iris added with a smirk.

"Iris," Ash said, raising his hand.

"Ah-ha." Iris raised her hand, too, giving a final high five.

They wished each other good luck in their upcoming journeys, then parted ways for the final time. Ash and Cilan went on their way to Striaton City while Iris went to the opposite direction, toward the Dragon Village, hoping to become the greatest dragon master.

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**Rate and review if you want me to update fast.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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**Chapter 2 - Home Sweet Home**

After they arrived in Striaton City, Ash and Cilan wished each other good luck, quickly said their good-byes, then went their separate ways with a final "Can't wait to see you again!" While Cilan went back to the Striaton gym to continue working on becoming an S-rank Pokemon connoisseur, Ash decided to visit Professor Juniper and withdraw his Pokemon from her lab. After saying goodbye to the female Professor, Ash and Pikachu grabbed a one way flight to the Kanto region, excited to meet their family and friends.

"We'll be in Pallet town in no time," Ash said, looking up at the electric Pokémon, who was sitting on Ash's head as always. Pikachu gave an excited 'pika-pi!' in response. The trainer's outfit changed, foregoing his adventuring gear in favor of a new outfit that hadn't been ruined under the Unovan elements: a long-sleeved black shirt topped with a half-sleeved sweatshirt, similar to his old one but with an accentuated collar, black pants and black fingerless gloves, and a brown belt to hold his team of pokeballs. Of course, the one thing that didn't and would never change was the red-and-white trainer's hat covering his mop of black hair.

The young trainer leaned against the armrest and the plane's frame, peering out the window at the Kanto landscapes below. "Look, it's Cerulean City!" The sixteen-year-old exclaimed, seeing the trademark glimmers of blue that surrounded the beautiful city of water. "Man, this takes me back..." He thought back to his gym battle against Misty, winning his second badge ever after a long fight alongside Pidgeotto and Butterfree. It had been a long time since he had visited his old Pokémon – even though he always found new Pokémon along the way, he still missed his original six.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud "Chu?" coming from a confused Pikachu who was wondering what his trainer was thinking.

"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering how Misty's doing," he said, grabbing Pikachu and putting him down on his lap so that the electric mouse could get a better view. "If we have time, we should give her and Brock a visi-" Before Ash could complete his last word, he was interrupted as the plane's speakers crackled to life.

**Ladies and gentlemen, our flight is about to land in Pallet Town. As we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and please turn off all electronic devices until we are safely landed. Thank you.**

"Looks like we're about to land, Pikachu," Ash said, switching off the blue Pokegear in his sweatshirt pocket.

As the flight landed, Ash and Pikachu came out of the plane. Ash took a deep breath, putting his hand on his stomach as he recovered from the sinking feeling that came with the plane's descent. No matter how much he tried to control it, he always felt like butterfrees tackling inside his stomach whenever a flight landed.

Ash smirked as he walked down the stairs. "This is the place where our journey began…" Ash said, looking at the sky, millions of good old thoughts running across his mind. His smirk turned into a warm smile as he thought about how Pikachu protected him from the flock of Spearows back then. That was the starting of his and Pikachu's big journey. "It's already been six years since then..."

_Ash was pedaling the fast as he could in the storm, trying to get away from the angry Spearows and arrive at the nearest Pokemon Center to save his first Pokemon's life, when suddenly he lost control of his borrowed bike. Ash and Pikachu went flying over the handle bars and hit the ground with a thud. Pikachu was lying hopelessly on the ground._

_Ash looked at Pikachu with tears in his eyes. "Pikachu..." He paused as he grabbed a Pokeball from his pocket. "Pikachu, maybe if you get in your ball, I might be able to save you," Ash told his new Pokémon, but no reply came from the poor creature. "Pikachu, get in your ball!" Ash exclaimed, but Pikachu just laid there, motionless like a rag doll. "Damn it!" Ash cursed slowly before he turned toward the Spearows who were chasing them._

_Ash stretched his arms in air, getting in a protective position. There was no way he would let them harm Pikachu anymore. "Spearows! Can you hear me?! I'm Ash Ketchum of Pallet town! I'm going to become the greatest Pokemon master ever, and I'm going to catch every single one of you! Do you hear me?! I won't let you lay a single hand on my Pokemon! Come and get me!" he exclaimed on top of his lungs with all the energy left within him, still standing there, trying to protect Pikachu._

_The Spearows screamed loudly as the charged toward Ash. Pikachu suddenly got up to his feet and jumped over Ash's shoulder towards the Spearows, letting out a massive Thunder Shock, wounding the flock of Spearows heavily. The flock cried in pain as they got hit by the electric attack and flew away from the brave trainer and his Pokemon. As the rain stopped and sun shined once again, Ash and Pikachu were laying on the ground, facing each other. Ash looked at Pikachu with a smile and a thanking look in his expression. Pikachu gently licked Ash in his cheek as the tears started to fall down from the young trainer's eyes. Ash looked up to the sky and saw a big orange bird-like Pokemon fly overhead. The Pokemon was beautiful, Ash reached in for his Pokedex and pointed it toward the bird Pokemon._

_**There is no data. There are still Pokémon yet to be identified.**_

Pikachu's ears perked up as he looked at his trainer from the ground. He knew exactly what was going on Ash's mind, since the exact same was going on in his. He remembered how he didn't listen to Ash and hated him when they first met, but soon they turned into best friends.

"Pi pika pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"Yeah, I can't wait to meet Mom and everyone either! Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash said as he started to run toward the Ketchum resident.

* * *

After running at his mad speed, Ash finally arrived at the Ketchum resident. "F-Finally..." Ash said, panting heavily as he tried leaning on the front door to catch some breath, but jumped back in surprise as the door opened itself.

He let himself in, only to find all of the lights were off. "Huh? Did Mom go out and forgot to lock the door or something?" Ashasked to nobody but himself as he started to search for the switch. "Here it is," he smirked before pushing the button.

As soon as Ash turned the lights on, the sound of crackers and birthday whistles made him jump. "What the-?!" Ash turned around to find out Delia and Mimey standing, behind him, wearing birthday hats.

"Welcome back, honey!" Delia exclaimed loudly, blowing the whistle.

"Mime! Mr. Mime!" Mimey joined her.

"M-Mom?" Ash stammered with a blank look on his face. "What's up with all this?"

"I wanted to surprise you for your big homecoming!" Delia squealed, giving her son a tight squeeze. She took a step back after realizing her baby boy was almost as tall as she was now, maybe even taller? "You need to come home more often, Ashy – you get so big every time you go out on these adventures!"

Ash chuckled with a slight blush on his face. "You think so?"

Delia smiled, letting him go. "And how are you doing, Pikachu?" she asked, bending down a little as her attention went toward the electric mouse pokemon, who was standing next to Ash.

"Pi, pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed happily, jumping on top of Delia's head.

"Mo-" Ash was interrupted by the voice of a girl clearing her throat. He turned to find a pretty brunette, just about his age, looking back at him. "MAY?!" he shouted loudly, with a shocked expression on his face.

"Yup! Long time no see, Ash!" May exclaimed. It took Ash a moment, considering how much she had changed since their time together in Hoenn. A red tuxedo corset hugged her grown-up curves, with an orange Pokeball belt wrapped tight under her bust. A crisp, white shirt sat underneath it, the sleeves rolled back and the loose hemline acting as a makeshift dress over her black leggings. Red and black fingerless gloves fussed with the laces on orange and black sneakers before moving to the pale pink satchel at her hips. Her hair hung straighter than he remembered, tied back with a new orange bandana. She had grown taller as well, but he knew it was her the moment he saw those bright, sapphire eyes.

"May, what a surprise! I wasn't expecting to see you here!" Ash exclaimed.

"Actually, May came here a day ago to meet you, but unfortunately, you weren't home. So, she decided to stay here and wait for you," Delia explained.

May clapped her hands, letting out a giggle as she spoke. "Well, I thought I'd come by and give you a visit. I saw you competing in Unova, so I figured you'd be back here before long. And-"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu interrupted her with a happy squeal as he jumped from Delia's head to her shoulder.

"Hey there, Pikachu! Did you miss me?" May asked, winking at the Pokemon. Pikachu gave an excited 'pika!' in response.

"So, May, how have you been?" Ash asked.

"Great! I made it all the way to the finals of the Sinnoh Grand Festival! But well, in the end, I lost to Drew, as always."

"Wow, that's awesome! Congrats! And don't say that. At least you reached to the finals, I just made it to the top eight in Unova," Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

May tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Not really. I found your battles waaa~y more awesome than mine."

Ash shied away a bit. "Eh, I didn't do THAT well," he shrugged.

"Oh, come on, you were great! So what if you lost? You tried your best!" she said, trying to cheer him up.

Ash grinned. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Anyway, honey, Mimey and I have to run to the grocery store for dinner tonight. Besides, I'm sure you two have some catching up to do~," Delia said in a teasing tone, making May blush as Pikachu jumped back down to the ground.

"What do you mean by that?" Ash rolled his eyes.

"Nothing, dear," Delia said with a giggle on her way out. "Bye, honey!"

"Mom's weird..." Ash said, folding his arms.

Ash looked down as he heard an excited 'pika' coming from Pikachu. He gave an excited tug on Ash's pants, trying to pull him towards Professor Oak's lab, where the rest of the Pokemon were waiting for them.

"Oh, yeah. I can't wait to see the others, too!" Ash exclaimed as he dashed off the door, looking back at May. "Let's go!" That's all he said before running toward the lab.

"W-Wait, Ash! I have something to tell you!" May shouted before she started to follow him.

* * *

After running for a few minutes, Ash and an extremely tired May finally reached Professor Oak's lab. "We're finally here!" he exclaimed loudly with an excited look on his face, while May almost fell on her knees, breathing heavily. Pikachu echoed him with an excited 'pi pikachu!' Ash paused to catch his breath, then threw open the gate and let himself in.

"W-Wait up, Ash... I have som-" May was cut off as a squealing Bayleef rounded the corner, knocking Ash to the ground with a mighty Body Slam.

Ash bit back a pained groan and tried to flash a smile. "H-Hey there, Bayleef, long time, no see…"

"Bay! Bay!" Bayleef exclaimed happily as she licked Ash's face.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu looked at Ash, a little worried.

"Oh! Ash, is that you?"

"T-Tracy?!" Ash exclaimed happily with a smirk on his face as Bayleef reluctantly got off of him. Ash stood up, looking at his old friend who accompanied him during his adventures in the Orange Islands. Tracy has grown taller than when Ash saw him last time; he was probably at least one foot taller than him now.

"Looks like you're having a hard time, Ash," Tracy chuckled, looking at the fallen trainer.

"You got it," Ash chuckled back as he went toward Tracy. "It's been a while since we last met. Man, I missed you."

"Yeah, same here." Tracy paused for a second. "Professor Oak said you'd be coming home, but we weren't expecting you so soon."

"Well, yeah. I wanted to give you guys a little surprise," Ash said, chuckling as he shook the dust off his hoodie. "So, how's everything going?"

"Good as ever! 'Specially now since you're finally back. We're glad to have you back, Ash. Your Pokémon have been so excited to see you again, though I guess you already saw Bayleef," Tracy laughed. "And, w-" Tracy was interrupted as his attention went toward the girl standing behind Ash. "Oh! May, isn't it?" Tracy exclaimed as he greeted May.

"Yup! Hey there, Tracy!" May responded with a smile on her face. "Been a while!"

"Oh yeah. Mrs. Ketchum did tell us that you were staying at their place. I thought about giving you a visit but Professor Oak's researches didn't even let me take a single step out of the lab," he said with a chuckle before turning toward Ash. "And Ash, rest of your Pokemon are waiting for y-"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ash interrupted, running off towards the backyard with a toothy grin on his face. "Come on, guys. Let's go!"

It was a bright, sunny day at Oak Corrals. Tracy looked on with a smirk on his face as Ash's Pokemon playfully tackled the young trainer, causing him to fall.

"They sure are playful," May blinked as the Pokemon got off their trainer.

"Oh you bet. They've been waiting for Ash non-stop since we told them that he was coming home," Tracy chuckled once again.

"Hey guys. I've missed you a lot!" Ash happily told his fellow Pokemon, still lying on the ground. The pokemon rejoiced in a loud, playful shout, until they were interrupted by a stampeding herd of Tauros in the distance. "Looks like the Tauros are doing fine," he chuckled as he got back on his feet.

Ash pulled out the Pokeballs containing his Unova team and let them loose. "Ok then. Time to make new friends. Come out everybody!"

The Unova team gave a playful cry as they emerged from their Pokeballs, and quickly ran off to meet their new friends. Snivy was quick to approach Sceptile and Bulbasaur, while Heracross charged down Leavanny in the hopes of licking some sap off of his leaves, but was soon disappointed as he found none. Krookodile jumped into a friendly roughhousing match with Torterra and Infernape, while Boldore set to pushing around Glalie. Unfezent met up with Swellow, Noctowl, and Staraptor, and the bird pokemon flew off to roost together. Scraggy was quick to start sparring with a not-interested Buizel, while Pignite went running after Donphan, and Palpitoad and Totodile ran off for a swim.

Ash smiled. "Looks like everyone's getting along wel—Huh?" He paused, finding an Oshawott hiding behind his leg. "Come on, Oshawott. You don't need to be shy," Ash said, bending down a bit.

"Osha..." Oshawott said slowly, looking as the crowd of Pokemon.

"Come on, stop acting like a gir~l," Ash teased him in a sing-song tone, hitting on one of Oshawott's sensitive spots. Oshawott was always trying to prove his manhood and Ash knew it.

"Oshawott!" Oshawott exclaimed with a huff as he dashed towards the others. He went straight to Corphish and started barking at him, trying to jumpstart a conversation. Instead, the spooked Corphish took a nervous step back, causing Ash to chuckle.

"Anyway, Tracy, where's Professor Oak?" Ash asked.

"Oh, he's in his lab, doing research as usual," Tracy said as he started to walk towards the lab. "Come on, I'll take you guys back," he offered, looking back at May.

"Got it." Ash waved off his Pokemon. "You guys stay here, I'll be right back. No picking fights with each other, okay?" He pointed a finger at Scraggy, who seemed to be in the middle of Headbutting Buizel. "Especially you, Scraggy."

With the Pokemon settled, Ash and May, along with Pikachu, followed Tracy back into the lab. "The Professor and I watched you compete in the Unova League," Tracy said. "Congrats! Top eight is really impressive!"

"Thanks, but it wasn't that great," Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "I did a lot better in Sinnoh."

"Top four, huh?" May interrupted, leaning in to stand next to Ash. "I couldn't believe that you won against the legendary Pokemon, Darkrai and had a tie with Latios. It was really fun to watch, even on TV. Max was really sad when you didn't win."

"I was, too. I really thought I had it that time."

"Yeah, but were the only one in the whole Sinnoh league to beat Tobias's Darkrai. Besides, both Sceptile and Pikachu did a great job!" May exclaimed as Pikachu chirped in agreement.

"I think so," Ash chuckled once again with a smirk on his face as they continued walking.

They made their way inside, and eventually came upon a computer room. The old professor was sitting on a chair, doing some research on his PC. "Hey there, Professor Oak!" Ash exclaimed happily.

"Oh Ash! You're finally back!" Oak exclaimed as he stood up from his chair. "Did you have a nice journey?"

"You bet! I made lots of new friends and saw a bunch of new Pokemon! I bet you can't wait to see all the new entries in my Pokedex."

The old man chuckled "Of course I do, can't wait for it. I'm sure everyone here will love having some new friends to play with as well."

"Yeah, we already went out to see them. Everyone seems to be getting along really well already."

Professor Oak turned to Ash's partner. "And how are you, Pikachu?"

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed before jumping on Professor Oak's shoulder, to which the old professor gave a laugh.

The professor raised his eyebrows as his eyes spotted the young girl standing beside Tracy. "Oh May! It's been a while since I last saw you. You've grown a lot since then," Oak laughed, grabbing his cup of coffee from the table.

"Hello, Professor Oak!" May exclaimed happily. "But I've been seeing you regularly on TV.I'm the biggest fan of your poetry. And of course, you haven't changed a bit!"

"Ho-ho, I'm glad to have a fan like you." The professor paused as something came up in his mind. "How's my little Squirtle doing?"

"Squirtle's doing great! Or maybe I should say Wartortle? He evolved a year ago. And believe me, he isn't a crybaby like he used to be back then, he's turned into a tough man!" May exclaimed as she gave a small laugh. "He's staying at my dad's greenhouse. He loves to smell the flowers there, even though he's a water-type."

"That sounds great. You really know how to raise a Pokémon," Oak complimented as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Thanks!"

Oak took Ash's Pokedex off of his hands, and he and Tracy set to work uploading the new Unova entries into their computers. During the lull, Ash raised his eyebrows and turned to the brunette at his side. "May, weren't you about to tell me something?"

"Oh yeah!" May remembered with a jump. "Let's see, I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in here..." she said as she grabbed her backpack and began to search for something in it.

"What is it, Ma-?" Ash was interrupted by May as she took out a red poster from her backpack, letting out a loud 'Ta-da!'

Ash blinked as he looked at the poster, with a picture of three beautiful Pokemon he had never seen and five ribbons around them with a big 'Kalos Grand Festival!' printed in the middle of the poster.

"K-Kalos Grand Festival?"

* * *

**So. How was it? Don't forget to review if you want me to update faster. Also, for a picture of May's current outfit, take a look at my full profile. And for Ash's- Er... It's my profile picture.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Ok. Took me a while because of reasons, eh- Anyways, I'll try to update more often now.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - The Unknown Letter.**

Ash blinked as he looked at the poster, with a picture of three beautiful Pokemon he had never seen and five ribbons around them with a big 'Kalos Grand Festival' printed in the middle of the poster. "K-Kalos Grand Festival?" Ash said slowly as the yellow mouse Pokemon jumped on his trainer's shoulder to take a look at the poster, letting out a loud 'pika?...'

"Yup!" May said loudly, getting the attention of Oak and Tracy, who just finished uploading the Pokedex entries to the PC. "Didn't you hear about it?! The famous Kalos region! It's filled with a bunch of Pokemon we've never seen. There's a Pokémon League, Elite four and a champion, and even a Grand Festival!"

"Kalos, huh? I've heard about it - in fact, that's the hottest subject in the professor's research list." Tracy chuckled. "It's just like Unova, it's filled with a lot of rare Pokemon that none of us have never seen."

Ash looked back over at May. "So, you're planning to head to the Kalos region?"

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I? There is a Grand Festival after all. And with all those Pokemon I've never even seen, it's going to be awesome!"

Ash looked at her, still kind of confused as Pikachu jumped back on the ground, looking at his trainer with a small smile on his face. Pikachu knew what Ash was thinking; he even knew what was going to be his final decision.

"Uh, s-" Ash was interrupted as Oak approached them with a piece of paper in his hand. "What's that?" he asked as Pikachu perked up his ears in excitement.

"Oh. I forgot to give you this. It's a letter." Oak paused for a second, clearing his throat. "Well, it says that the letter is for you..."He pointed the big _For Ash Ketchum_ on the envelope.

"For me?" he asked, quickly taking the piece of paper from the professor's hand. "Let's see..."

May raised her eyebrows. "What's that, Ash?"

"A letter from one of my fans, I guess!" Ash said cockily.

Tracy gave a chuckle. "We don't know if it's from your fans or not, Ash," he reminded him.

"What else could it be?" He looked over the envelope. It was totally blank except for Ash's name across the front. "There's no address or name on it or anything."

Ash tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter. Immediately, his eyes went to the odd signature in the right corner. It was a diamond-shaped mark, resembling a broken piece of Sinnoh's Forest Badge.

"What's that?" May asked with a puzzled look in her expression.

"Who knows? Looks like a weird signature," Ash said slowly. Pikachu looked at his trainer, with a confused look on his face matching May's, as he let out a low 'chu?' "Anyway, let's see what it says."

_I'll be waiting for you in Kalos._

"Who would send something like that?" Tracy said, looking at the letter.

"Maybe one of my fangirls!" Ash exclaimed happily, to which May made an annoyed face.

"Are you kidding me?! You haven't even decided to head to Kalos and they know you'll be there?" she snapped.

"Why are you getting so mad?" Ash asked confusedly. When May didn't reply, his face broke into a big smile. "Well, it doesn't really matter who sent the letter, it just settles it! I'm heading out to the Kalos region!"

Everyone in the room looked a little surprised, except for Pikachu. _He's only been home a day, and he's already planning his next adventure?_ Oak thought as he looked at the extremely excited trainer. He sighed._ Maybe some things will never change, no matter what..._

"Ash, don't you think you're being a little hasty? I mean, it's great and all, I would love to have your company in Kalos, but you just got back home!" May said.

"I can't help it. There's someone waiting for me in Kalos, it'd be rude if I disappoint them," he replied with a chuckle. "Besides, didn't you say it has a Pokemon league, too? Then it's obvious, there's no way I'm going to miss that!"

May sighed, looking at Ash. She knew that there was no way she could win this argument.

Ash looked at the old professor as something popped in his mind. "Professor Oak, did you tell Gary I was coming home?!" he asked. All of the talk of travelling to new Pokémon leagues and encountering new rivals sparked memories of his old nemesis, Gary Oak. _Not to mention the signature…_Could he have been the one to leave the mysterious letter?

"I didn't even think to mention it," Professor Oak answered, starting a pot of coffee. "Gary's been so busy lately, I haven't had the chance to speak to him for weeks."

"Sounds like someone in here's talkin' about me!" a voice came from the door. Everyone looked up to find none other than Gary Oak himself, leaned in the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. "Hey, Ashy-boy, long time, no see."

"Gary!" Ash exclaimed happily, ignoring the "Ashy-boy" of his. "Man, what are you doing here?!"

"It's my gramps' lab, remember?" Gary pointed out, taking a step back as Ash rushed towards him.

"Dude, I haven't seen you since Sinnoh!"

"Yeah, it's been a while. I heard you've been in Unova; how was it?"

"Awesome! And I've gotten a bunch of new pokemon! They're pretty tough," Ash bragged with a cocky smirk.

"Good for ya, Ashy-boy," Gary said with a smirk.

"What about you, Gary? Still researching?"

"Well, yeah, you could say that. I'm heading to Kalos soon to do some research on rare pokemon." He chuckled at a thought. "Maybe I'll even dust off my gear and enter the Kalos league."

"Kalos league? Didn't you say that you gave up on training?" Ash asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yeah, I did, but who knows?" Gary said, placing his hand on Ash's shoulder. "Maybe I just want to kick your butt in a league battle." He couldn't help but chuckle at the soured look on Ash's face.

"Hey. How did you know I'm going to the Kalos region?" Ash raised his eyebrows at him.

"I've been standing in the doorway for the past five minutes. If you weren't so distracted by your _fan mail_, you would've noticed."

Ash simply grumbled under his breath with a pout.

Gary moved towards his grandfather, but paused as he passed by May. "Oh, you must be May," he said with another one of his smirks.

"Uh? How do you know me?" May asked.

"Is that even a question?" Gary looked at her. "Weren't you one of the top coordinators at the last Sinnoh Grand Festival? Not to mention Ash never shuts up about you whenever I see 'im."

"Oh, he doesn't?" She gave a small smile and raised her eyebrows at Ash.

"Hey! Hey..." Ash whispered to nobody but himself, with a light blush on his face.

Finally, Gary approached the professor, pulling out a parcel. "Anyway, here's the stuff you wanted, Gramps."

"Oh, thanks, Gary! I really appreciate it." Oak exclaimed before accepting the parcel.

"What's that, Professor Oak?" Ash asked.

"Oh, nothing, just some equipment," Professor Oak said, handing the parcel to Tracy. "Place them in my research room."

"Right away, Professor!" Tracy said, doing just that.

Ash beckoned Gary over. "Hey, Gary, come take a look at this."

Gary grabbed the letter and looked over it. Just as Ash's did, his attention went straight for the strange signature in the corner, and his eyes went wide upon recognizing it.

"You saw it, too, right?" Ash asked. He pulled a diamond-shaped piece of green badge from his pocket, exactly matching the odd shape scribbled on the page. "I figured it had to be you or her."

"You still have yours?" Gary pulled out another piece of the broken badge, one just like Ash's. He looked back down at the letter, giving a quiet chuckle. "Yep, that's gotta be her, alright."

"Pika...?" Pikachu just stood there, totally confused, watching as the two trainers conversed over him. This time, he didn't have a slightest clue of what Ash was talking about; he never even saw where Ash got that badge. It made him feel a little sad; if this thing was so important, why hadn't Ash showed it to him before?

Both of the trainers looked at each other for a few seconds before they were interrupted by May. "Who are you two talking about?" she asked in an nervous manner.

"O-Oh, it's nothing special…" Ash said as he placed the piece of badge back in his pocket.

"Yeah, nothing special at all..." Gary said with a warm smile as he did the same, leaving May confused. "I'm going to see my pokemon,"

"W-Wait, Gary! I'm coming too!" Ash exclaimed as he followed Gary.

"Chu!" Pikachu exclaimed before running behind his trainer.

"Whatever, Ashy-boy," Gary said with another smirk as they went out through the front gate.

Once the boys were outside, May turned back to Professor Oak. "Professor, do you have any idea what Ash and Gary were talking about?" She fiddled her fingers nervously, and there was a hint of a blush on her face.

Professor Oak chuckled. "Oh, no, Gary never told me anything about that badge of his. He takes it everywhere, though, so it must be important to him."

May looked out the window, where the boys had reached the backyard. "Hmm, is that so?..."

* * *

Gary shoved his hands in his pockets as he and Ash walked through the Pokémon in the field. "So you're sure about going to Kalos?" he asked.

"Yeah, why not? New Pokémon, a new League to compete in…and now her," Ash said.

"Don't be so hasty, though. You just came back, ya know."

"Look who's talking! You just came back, too, and you've had plans for Kalos even before I did!" Before he could continue his rant, Ash's attention turned towards the quartet of Dodrios rushing towards them, all twelve heads squawking in excitement.

"Hey, Dodrios," Gary greeted, petting one of the heads that pecked towards them.

"Four Dodrios, huh?" Ash said with a chuckle. "That's quite a lot."

"Says the guy who caught thirty Tauros," Gary said as he looked away, making an annoyed face.

* * *

_BAM!  
_

Giovanni looked up as the door flew open, flooding his office with the lights from the hallway and allowing two Rocket agents in black uniforms, one a young lady with long ruby hair and the other a young man with tousled cerulean locks, and their loud-mouthed Meowth not far behind, to stumble into the room. "So I see you three idiots are back from Unova," the Rocket boss acknowledged curtly.

"Yes, sir!" the Team Rocket agents, Jessie and James exclaimed loudly.

Giovanni gave a frustrated grunt. _Their bumbling might be tolerable if they weren't so loud_. He reached down and gently stroked his Persian, earning an annoyed glare from the Meowth across the room. "I heard you two have been doing well over there," he said.

"Yes sir!" James exclaimed yet once again.

"Calm down." Instantly, the two agents straightened up, staying as still and quiet as they could. "I've got another mission for you two. If you continue to do well out in the field, there may be a special…bonus in your future."

Jessie and James' eyes lit up. Both of them immediately jumped to the same fantasy: dressed in lavish clothes, surrounded by servants and fine dining, taking private trips around the world, finally working their way up on the Team Rocket ladder…Jessie especially relished in the thought of finally being higher rank than Cassidy for a change, and was already planning on how to rub it in her smug little face.

"Oh, whatever you say, boss!" Jessie squealed.

"Say the word, we'll have it done first thing!" James echoed.

"I want you to go make a deal for me with my beloved friend, Lysandre. He resides in the Kalos region. He runs an organization of his own, called Team Flare. They could be an interesting ally for our operations, so I need you three to go and talk with them."

"So what's the deal we're making?" James asked.

Giovanni gave an evil chuckle. "Lysandre is a bitch. That bastard only works for money; if you can't help him get that, then you're useless to him. He'll do whatever it takes to get his hands on it, even killing people and Pokémon without mercy. Team Flare is currently in possession of some very rare Pokémon fossils – they have total control over the Kalos black market trade because of it. I want you to go to Kalos and get those fossils off of them – offer Lysandre as much as you need, we've got plenty of money to cover it."

"But why fossils?" James asked.

"Don't be stupid. We can use our technology and have our scientists turn the fossils into real living Pokemon. Folklore tells that the Kalos region was once home to many of the world's most powerful ancient Pokémon, but they all went extinct after a massive climate change took over the area. Now the entire region is stocked with fossils, which we can revive and use to empower our team." He gave the trio a stern look. "I want those fossils, but remember not to do anything stupid while you're there. Flare is a giant organization, perhaps even as sprawling as Rocket. Starting a war would be devastating. Failure is not an option here. Am I understood?"

"Got it!" the trio exclaimed together.

"Also... before you go, I want to give you something," Giovanni said as he took out a Pokeball from his desk.

"Ooh, what is it?" Jessie asked, eyes alight once more. "A new, rare Pokémon to help us on the mission? Maybe something powerful and exotic from the Kalos region?"

Giovanni hit the latch, opening the Pokeball. After a bright flash of light, a rounded cyan figure popped out. "Woooob-buffet!" it exclaimed.

"W-wobbuffet?!" Jessie said as she bent down to grab her former Pokemon. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to be in training!"

"Training? We can't tolerate this one... he just doesn't listen to anyone, no matter what method they try. Besides, I doubt that he can get any better. Just take him with you," Giovanni said, tossing the Pokeball at Jessie.

"Y-Yes, sir..." Jessie said as she caught the Pokeball. "Wobbuffet, return." A beam of light came out of the Pokeball and the blue-colored Pokemon disappeared as it touched him.

"If you three run into any trouble, contact me as soon as possible. You'll be outfitted with new equipment and whatever else you may need before you go. I've arranged a private helicopter to take you into the Kalos region. Once you arrive, Team Flare will take over the transportation from there. Let me know once you've met with Lysandre, and do _not_ come back without those fossils. I'll say it one last time: **do not** mess up this mission. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" the trio exclaimed loudly before dashing out of the room in a hurry, slamming the door behind them.

Giovanni sighed, still running his hand through Persian's fur. "I hope I made the right decision, entrusting them with such an important job." His Persian replied with a low cry, to which Giovanni's glare lightened slightly. "You're right. They're bumblers, but they're not thatuseless…"

* * *

Meanwhile back at Professor Oak's lab, the sun was beginning to set, bringing out beautiful colors to the sky. Ash and May were out front, bidding Gary farewell.

"So, Gary, are you leaving for Kalos already?" Ash asked.

"Don't see why not. I'll be spending the night at my sister's house, then head out first thing tomorrow. Why don't you meet me here in the morning and we'll head out together?"

Before Ash could say anything, May interrupted, "Got it! We'll be there for sure!"

Gary looked up, perplexed. "Wait, you're coming, too?"

"Of course I am! How can a top coordinator miss the Kalos Grand Festival?" she said with a wink. _Besides,_ she thought, _I need to see what's going on with that weird letter…_

"Alright, the more the merrier." Gary chuckled. "Looks like you've been taking over my job of dragging around a team of cute girls, eh, Ash?"

"Oh, shut up, Gary!" Ash snapped. He, like May, was sporting a bit of an embarrassed blush.

Ignoring Ash, Gary waved back inside. "Later, Gramps! Tracy!" Then he looked back at Ash. "See ya tomorrow, Ashy-boy," he taunted, right before walking off into the setting sun.

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**Don't forget to rate and review. They really help.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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**Chapter 4 - Off to Kalos!**

A blanket of scarlet spread out across the sky, as the golden sun slowly sank behind the mountains. Glimmers of light reflected off the still waters in the lake. Eventually the dimming sun started to tuck away behind the hills, which rolled on endlessly. The soft, pink cotton clouds floated by, and the sky became darker. As soon as May stopped panting, she gazed at the beautiful setting sun, enjoying the touch of the tantalizing, playful winds.

Ash gave a cheerful grin as he looked back at May. "So? How is it?" After Gary left, Ash and May rushed back to the Ketchum residence to pack their things. It was already quite late when they finished, but the young trainer insisted on a quick trip before they left Pallet Town; he wouldn't have time to visit before their flight in the morning. Pikachu looked at his trainer once again before jumping down on ground, taking a look at the sky himself, letting out an entranced 'pika...'

May smiled once before looking back at Ash. "It's beautiful! It's been a while since I've seen a sunset this beautiful-" She paused, taking a look at the sky once again. "I wish there was a view like this in my hometown."

They were currently on top of the highest hill in Pallet Town. Both trainers were exhausted from the climb, but the exquisite view at the top made it all worth it. Ash smiled as he looked up at the dark orange sky, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "Awesome, isn't it? This is my most treasured place in the town. Mom showed me this place when I was still a kid. Whenever I had the chance, I'd run up here and watch the sunset. It's kind of like my little secret spot," he chuckled.

May watched Ash with interest in her eyes as he told his story. "Secret spot, huh? That must be fun for you."

"Oh, you bet! None of my friends knew about this place. Not even Gary." Ash paused, looking at the Pokemon standing next to his leg. "Me and Pikachu always stop by here whenever we're home from an adventure."

May just smiled as the trainer continued. "Whenever I was sad about something, this place always cheered me up. Even if I wasn't, it was nice to just come up here and relax." He chuckled once again before looking back at May. "Mom also told me that this was the place where she and Dad first met. She said it was love at first sight."

May looked at him as her cheeks turned as pink as cherry blossoms. She hoped her blush would be hidden by the fading orange sunlight. May sighed slowly as she tried to not to stutter. "It must be so precious then."

"Of course it is." Before May could say another word, Ash looked at her, smiling oddly. "You still have that Ribbon?" After digging through the pocket of his backpack, he pulled out half of a bright pink Ribbon with a sunburst badge in its center.

When the coordinator saw, a cheerful smile broke onto her face. "Of course I do!" she exclaimed slowly, taking the other half of that exact ribbon from the satchel at her hip. "Why wouldn't I? It's like my lucky charm; it reminds me of all the good times we had with Brock and Max while we were travelling through Hoenn and Kanto."

Ash and May brought their halves together. As the pieces of the Ribbon matched with each other, they created a beautiful yellow sphere in the center, recreating the sun that had finally set in front of the trainers. Pikachu gave an excited 'chaa' before being interrupted by the sudden fall of darkness. "Pi? Pikapi, pi pika-chu!"

"Oh, you're right. Mom must be worried about us. We'd better head back," Ash said, returning the Ribbon to his backpack's pocket before looking back at May. "Let's go!" he exclaimed before dashing off, followed by his Pokémon.

May gave a huff before trying to chase after. "Oh, not this again! Would you stop running off on your own for once?!"

* * *

By the time Ash and May reached the Ketchum residence, it was already night. Stars were shining brightly in the black sky, along with the moon. Ash looked at the window just to see the bright yellow light coming from it. "Looks like Mom's back home."

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu chirped in agreement to his trainer.

May finally caught up with Ash, grabbing his shoulder as she fought to catch her breath. Ash could only chuckle as she puffed and panted, to which she replied with a punch to the arm. After a few moments, she took a long, deep breath, then stood up straight and brushed herself off, giving Ash a nod to signal that she was okay now, though clearly still annoyed with his antics.

Before Ash could even knock the door, it flew open, knocking Ash back. "Welcome back, honey~!" Delia squealed, dragging Ash to his feet just to give him a tight hug. "And you, too, May!" She gave the coordinator an equally-crushing hug, which caught May off-guard. Delia then backed off slightly, just enough to shepherd the two inside. "Come on, come inside! I've got a big dinner ready for you two!" Once the trainers were inside, she opened her arms to the yellow mouse left behind, allowing him to jump onto her shoulders. "And some for you, too, Pikachu," she cooed, eliciting an excited 'chaa!' from Pikachu.

May smiled with an excited clap. "Sounds great! I can't wait to try it!"

"And I hope you like it!" Delia sent Pikachu back to Ash before heading back to the kitchen. "Mime~y, come set the table!"

Ash chuckled as Delia and Mr. Mime set to work. May untied her sweaty bandana and placed it on the small table next to the front door before taking a deep breath. "Man, I'm exhausted. We sure had a busy day," she said with a stretch.

"Really? I don't feel that tired. Today was awesome!" Ash exclaimed cheerfully before making his way to the dining room.

May rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd say that." That was the Ash she remembered, hyperactive as ever.

"Mr. Mime!" Once the two teens were seated, Mimey rushed in, piling a number of different dishes on the table. "Mime, Mr. Mime!" he exclaimed, gesturing for the two to get comfy and eat up.

"It looks awesome!" May said happily, eyes darting around from dish to dish.

Delia followed Mimey out of the kitchen, putting down the last dish, a plate filled with cream korrokes. "Don't be shy, dig in! You're our special guest, May, so please, make yourself at home! Take as much as you want!"

As Delia finished setting the table and returned to the kitchen, Ash put his hat to the side, and the two began to eat. May gave a loud 'mmmh!' as she bit into her curry rice. "Oh, wow, this is so good!"

"Yup, Mom's food is always the best," Ash said with a grin, grabbing a korroke. "I wish I could eat her food every day."

"I'm glad you like it!" Delia exclaimed. She emerged from the kitchen with a bowl in her hands, which promptly went to Pikachu. The yellow mouse cautiously sniffed at the Pokefood within it, then took a bite with a cheerful 'pi-pikachu!' "Don't you worry, May, I'll make plenty of food for you for as long as you're staying with us!"

Ash's smile dropped. "Uhm, yeah, about that, Mom…" Delia paused to look over at her son. "We, uh…kind of already made our next plans." He tried to put on a cheerful face, in hopes his mother wouldn't be too heartbroken. "We're heading out for a new region with Gary. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Delia's eyes went wide. Her baby boy was barely home a day, and was already leaving again? her heart sank a little, but she was hardly surprised. Ash was just like his father: always hyperactive and ready to go on new adventures. There was simply no stopping him.

So instead, she smiled. "A little hasty, aren't we? But I guess I can't stop you from doing what you love. Just try to keep in touch with Mommy while you're gone, okay?"

Relieved, Ash smiled back. "Thanks mom... and don't worry! I'll try to be home sooner this time! Promise!"

"And don't worry, Mrs. Ketchum," May added. "I'm going, too, so I'll keep an eye on Ash and make sure he's not getting into any trouble!"

"Oh, wonderful! It always makes me feel better to hear Ash is travelling with some friends. You don't have to be so formal, by the way, May. You can call me Delia," she paused to giggle, "or even Mom if you wanted!" She laughed a little harder after seeing the blush appear across May's face.

Once everyone had their fill, and Mimey was carrying empty plates back to the kitchen, Ash and May decided to retire for the night, so they could be ready for their morning flight to Kalos. "You can stay up in the guest bedroom, May," Delia offered. "I've already prepared the bed for you."

"Man, I haven't seen my room in, like, a year," Ash said with a stretch. "It'll be nice to sleep in my own bed again."

"I just cleaned it up for you yesterday." Before leaving the dining room, Delia got up and gave Ash a quick kiss on the head. "Mimey and I will be in the kitchen if you need us, so just call. Good night, you two~!"

"Your mom's a nice lady," May complimented as Delia and Mimey retreated to the kitchen. "She sure loves you!"

"Yep! And I love her, too."

Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder, gently tugging at his hair with a cry of 'pikapi!' "Yeah, I know, we should get to bed. Don't want to oversleep and miss our flight!" He got up and headed to the stairs, looking back when May didn't follow. "You comin'?"

"Yeah, I'll be up in a bit. Go on without me."

"Alright. Just don't be up too late, okay?"

"I'm not the one who sleeps in all of the time, Ash Ketchum."

Ash gave a sheepish laugh. "Right. Good night!"

* * *

It was middle of the night, and despite Delia's best efforts to make Ash's bedroom spotless, the young trainer had dismantled most of it in a frantic search. "Damn it!" he cursed quietly, trying not to make any noise. "Where is it? Oh, don't tell me Mom threw it away!"

He threw open his closet, glancing over to make sure he hadn't disturbed the sleeping Pikachu at the foot of his bed. After pulling out a pile of clothes and some other assorted junk, he found an old, dusty picture stuck against the back wall. "Aha, found it!" he exclaimed, quickly covering his mouth after realizing how loud he was being.

He pulled the photo loose, then dusted it off. The old picture depicted three kids at the Oak Corral, all about the age of seven. Two of them were boys, one with black hair and one with brown; and between them was a blonde girl, with a Farfetch'd sitting on her cream-colored sun hat. Ash couldn't help but laugh to himself. The two boys in the picture were himself and Gary, ready to tear each other's throats out as usual. He wanted to go off and play, but Professor Oak insisted on having the picture taken before Serena left for Kalos region along with her mom and dad. Gary made the snide comment that real Pokémon trainers weren't so impatient, and they spent the rest of the day bickering about who would become a Pokémon master first. They couldn't even stop arguing long enough to smile for the picture!

Ash gave a soft smile as the memories of the past flashed back in his mind. He quickly zipped his backpack and went back to his bed, quietly lying down in order to not disturb Pikachu. _We'll be in Kalos soon... Wait for us._

* * *

A group of Dodrio crowed to the sun as it rose up on another beautiful morning in Pallet Town. All was quiet at the Ketchum household…mostly.

Ash, still sound asleep in his bed, grumbled incoherently about becoming a 'vokhemon masher' amidst his snores. With such little time to unpack and get settled, his bedroom was a mess, with old clothes and trainer's gear tossed left and right, and his blanket thrown haphazardly on the floor in his twists and turns.

Pikachu, who was already awake and patiently waiting for his trainer, rolled his eyes with a weak 'chu…' Suddenly, his ears perked at the sound of a knock at the door.

"Ash, are you up yet?" May shouted from the other side.

Suspecting that he was still asleep, May entered the room slowly. "Geez!" she said with a huff. "Just look at this room. It's totally messed up!" she said as she bent down and picked up an Indigo League poster that had fallen off the wall.

"Pika!" Pikachu gave a happy cry as he jumped on May's shoulder, licking her cheeks, which made her giggle.

"So you're awake, huh?" she said, rubbing Pikachu's cheek with her index finger, to which he replied with a cooing 'chaa'. "And this guy..." May said as she stood up. "He's still asleep. Geez, I guess some things never change," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Huh?" Suddenly, her attention went toward a wooden Teddiursa doll, placed on a table along with trophies and various other awards. She gave a laugh as she approached the table. "He still has this thing?" It was the Teddiursa doll she had given him during their parting at Sinnoh.

She smiled and placed the doll back on the table, then sighed as she turned around. "You should wake up now, A-" _WHAM!_ She was cut off by a pokeball-shaped clock kissing her face.

"Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed as he jumped off May's shoulder and landed on the table.

Shortly after hurling his clock, Ash rolled back over, mumbling something about his 'bhubasar'.

The clock fell to the ground while May tightened her fists. Her eyes flared in rage and you could see the steam shooting from her ears. In a panic, Pikachu ducked behind one of Ash's trophies for safety. She picked up the clock, ready to hurl it with twice the force it was just thrown at her.

"WAKE UP, ASH KETCHUM!" May shouted, as loud as a Loudred, making the few Pidgey sitting on top of the house fly away in panic.

* * *

"We've done a lot of shopping, Mimey! I'm going to make all of Ash's favorites for breakfast!" Delia said as she, along with Mimey, approached the Ketchum residence.

"Mime!" Mimey chimed in agreement.

"I'm home!" Delia exclaimed as she entered from the front door.

"Welcome home!" said May, who was sitting on a chair, reading a fashion magazine. Ash yawned a mumbled 'hi, Mom', dazedly rubbed the big, pink circle mark on his cheek from his spot on the couch. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, nothing. I got stopped by some boys who needed directions to Professor Oak's lab. They were probably new trainers who were about to get their first pokemon," Delia said, giving one of her own laughs.

Ash looked up quickly. "Hey, speaking of new trainers: hasn't Max turned ten by now?"

"Yeah, but he's put off getting his starter Pokémon for another year. He says he wants to learn more from Dad, but I think he's just a little scared of going out on his own," May said with a chuckle.

"Aw man, that's too bad. I was looking forward to battling him," Ash said, petting Pikachu, who was sitting quietly next to him.

"Anyway, wait just a second, I'll have breakfast ready in no time!" Delia said in her sing-song voice as she placed her shopping bag on a table and went inside the kitchen.

"So, Ash? Do you really think it's ok to leave today?" May asked, placing her magazine on the table.

"I don't know," Ash answered. "I wanted to stay around for a few days and spend time with everyone, maybe run up to Pewter City and visit Brock. But guess nothing can be done."

May rolled her eyes at him. "You're being hasty."

"I'm not! I'm just excited to explore the new region! Besides, you saw the letter – someone's waiting for me there, I can't let them down!"

May didn't reply; she crossed her arms across her chest and stared at Ash. The two sat quietly for a short while, until the kitchen doors flew open and they both looked up.

"Breakfast is ready!" Delia said as she stepped out of the kitchen, bringing out two glasses of milk and a large plate of toast and jam.

Ash and May moved to the table and dug in. "Wow, this is really good, Miss Ketchum!" May exclaimed as she started eating.

"Yeah, Mom loves cooking," Ash said with a chuckle. Pikachu released a quiet 'pika!' as he jumped on top of the table and broke off a small piece of bread to munch on.

The two trainers ate quietly, exchanging casual conversation over their meal, until May looked up at the clock. With a jump, she cried, "Ash, it's already 7:25! Aren't we supposed to meet Gary at 7:30?"

"Oh, darn it! We've gotta hurry!" Ash shouted. He chugged down his milk in a matter of seconds, then grabbed some toast and rushed upstairs to grab his backpack. May sighed with a roll of her eyes, then followed him up the steps to gather her own things.

After Ash and May packed their gear up, they paused outside of the Ketchum house so that Ash and Delia could say their goodbyes.

"Here you go, Ash!" Delia said, handing Ash a black bag. "Mommy made some food for the trip! Don't worry, May, there's some for you, too."

"Thanks, Mom," Ash said, grabbing the bag from her hand and putting it inside his backpack. "Don't worry, I'll be home soon!"

Delia smiled back at her son, the same sad smile all parents wear when they wave good-bye to their children. "I know you will," she said, giving him a tight hug. "I can't help it, you know how much we miss you here."

Normally, Ash shied away from his mother's hugs (especially when his friends were watching), but today, he returned the hug just as tight. He knew how hard it must be for her, especially since he had only stayed home for a day. "I know, Mom, I know."

May and Pikachu stayed quiet, watching the exchange with a pair of soft smiles.

Delia finally broke the hug, pausing to take one last look at her son. "You really are growing up so fast." Unable to help herself, she pinched at one of Ash's cheeks. "Oh, I'm so proud of my little Pokémon master!"

"Mom, stop it," Ash whined, back to his usual 'stop, you're embarrassing me' tone.

With a laugh, Delia turned to May. "I'm leaving you in charge of him, okay? Make sure nothing happens to my baby boy, and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." She winked at the teen, who smiled back.

Ash rolled his eyes at her. "Mom! I'm not a kid anymore, you know!"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Ketchum, I'll take good care of him," May said, ignoring Ash's complaint.

Eager to meet with Gary and start their adventure, Ash waved for May to follow as he headed towards the lab. "Come on, we've gotta go! Bye, Mom!"

"Take care, sweetie! Call home when you can!" Delia exclaimed as Ash and May walked away from the Ketchum residence, looking back and saying their good-byes.

"Mr. Mime!" Mimey added.

"Be careful! Don't talk to strangers! Brush your teeth, and no staying up late! Oh, and make sure you change your underwear every day!"

"Mom, I got it!" Ash yelled back. Even after they were out of earshot of the house, the flush of embarrassment on his face was still fresh.

May fought to control her laughter. "You can't get a more caring mom than her, huh?"

"You're telling me..."

* * *

After a mad dash up the hill, Ash and May made it to the professor's lab in about twenty minutes. Before they could enter, a faint rustling in the bushes caught their attention. They paused, just in case it was something dangerous, but relaxed when a leafy-green bulb poked out with a croaky 'bulba!'

"Bulbasaur!" Ash exclaimed happily.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur shouted playfully as he burst out of the bushes and ran toward Ash and May.

"Pi-pikachu!" Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and ran up to his old friend. After a brief exchange, Bulbasaur extended one of his vines, letting Pikachu grab hold of it in a friendly handshake.

"Hey there, Bulbsaur, long time no see," May said, putting her hands on her knees and bending down.

"Say, is Professor Oak inside?" Ash asked, to which Bulbasaur nodded.

"Great! Let's go see him!" Wasting no more time, Ash ran inside.

"Wait for us, Ash!" May exclaimed as she, along with Pikachu and Bulbasaur, started to follow him.

Ash threw open the door to the professor's computer room. Both Professor Oak and Tracy were there; Oak was working at his desk, while Tracy was enjoying a crab dish on the couch. "Morning, everybody!"

"Good morning, Ash," Professor Oak greeted, looking up for a moment to see him.

Ash looked around. "Is Gary here yet?"

"He's out in the backyard, telling his Pokemon goodbye. He really has caught a lot of them," Tracy said, quickly finishing his breakfast before getting up and heading toward the storage room.

As he did that. May, Pikachu, and Bulbasaur finally caught up. May leaned against the doorframe, panting heavily. "You can't just bolt off like that, Ash! I'm not chasing you all over Kalos like this!"

"Oh, so ol' Ashy-boy finally made it, huh?" Gary said, entering the room with his usual smirk. "You're late! It's already 7:50! Come on, how much sleep do you need?"

"Shut up, we got here as fast as we could!" Ash fought back. Professor Oak just chuckled; little did Ash know, Gary only arrived five minutes before them, still fifteen minutes late than their agreed arrival time.

Before the boys could start to argue, Tracy emerged from the storage room, handing Gary an unmarked white box. "Alright, here you go! Professor Sycamore lives in Lumiose City; he shouldn't be too hard to find."

"What's that, Tracy?" Ash blinked, watching as Gary took the package.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Ashy-boy," Gary replied before Tracy could say anything. "You'll know once we get to the Kalos region."

Ash didn't bother much about it. All he was thinking about the great adventures in the new region, and he couldn't wait to get there. After Gary placed the box in his backpack, he slung the bag over his shoulder and waved for the other two trainers to head out. "Come on, we've gotta get going if we're going to make that flight!"

* * *

Outside the lab, after Ash left his Unova team in the Oak Corral, May, Ash and Gary stood opposite of Professor Oak and Tracy.

"Ash, are you sure about only taking just Pikachu with you?" Oak asked once again.

"Of course I am," Ash said with a nod. "Pikachu's the only partner I need! Besides, how else am I supposed to train all the new Pokémon we'll see?"

"I suppose you have a point there." Oak turned to his grandson. "Tell Professor Sycamore I said hello when you get the chance, would you?"

"Gotcha, Gramps,'" Gary said, placing his hands inside his pockets before turning to Tracy. "Make sure that Gramps doesn't overwork himself too much, Tracy."

Tracy nodded. "I've got things covered on our end."

"You boys stay out of trouble now, you hear me?" Oak said.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them, Professor," May replied with a smile on her face.

Deciding not to stall any longer, the three of them finally turned and walked down the dirt road leading through and out of Pallet Town, all waving good-bye as they went.

"Take care, Professor Oak! Later, Tracy!"

"Smell ya later, Gramps!"

"Bye! We'll be in touch!"

"Pikachuuu~!"

* * *

**So yeah... Sorry for the delay, been quite busy these days. Anyways, I hope you guys liked it. Don't forget to rate and review.**


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